To Fly
by timelucked
Summary: Neji Hyuuga has the mark of a caged bird. But though caged, they have yet to clip his wings. And through his thoughts and the care of those around him, he will fly. He can soar on the wings of those who love him.


He sat in thought, chewing at the end of his pencil. Neji, of the renowned Hyuuga clan, layed all his thoughts out to bare on his notebook, his deep insightful philosophies of his day to day life and struggles, as he rested on a boulder deep within the training grounds. The grass softly swayed with the trees as the winds rolled through.

_To fly away is to be free._ He jotted gracefully, his hand guiding his thoughts to flow eloquently along the page. _To fly... is to have power._ He noted, _Power over the skies_.

He brought his worn utensil to his pursed lips, concentrating on how to phrase and word his next phrase.

_Power … over control. Control over power … _ He mused, taking more note of this.

His facial expression changed and set to a frown, his brow furrowing to his ideas.

_But this bird has no power. This bird has been caught._ He paused to collect himself. _Kidnapped from the skies._

His thoughts then turned to themselves, to himself. He began to fume and madly dashed his pencil along the paper scrambling to write down all his quick-thoughts.

_This bird has been caged, its destiny sealed, like the miniscule gate that incloses it. It's flight is limited, if even able to at all. Its path stripped from it, it cannot hold on. Forced to believe it cannot fly, it sits perched on its stool, waiting for its chance to spread its wings and escape its own persecution. But unallowed the opportunity to prove itself, it waits for the time... the time that will never come._

His brow, deep-set in anger, loosened as thoughts strayed to things more pleasant.

He heard her call his name, that wonderful voice he could recognize anywhere. That voice that sounded so real. That sounded so near! That still sounded too surreal. The musical lilt to I when she called his name, and his alone, mixed with the fierceness of the authoritative kunoichi within her was the sweet melody that quickened the rhythmic beating to his heart.

"Neji~?" He closed his eyes to the sound, both hands dropping as he relaxed, his pen falling almost out of grip and notepad resting lightly on his muscled thigh. At this point he could care less what was real or fiction, just hearing her _voice, _was all he needed.

He awoke with a start, jostled awake by a firm, yet gentle, hand. Neji looked up into the warmly concerned, brown eyes of his team mate. His partner in most all things. He blinked neutrally at her, smirking as she gruffly sighed her relief.

"I have been looking all over for you! Funny, I should have checked here first. You, _would_, like the most peaceful place, Neji!" She smiled, warm as were her eyes, at him.

"To what do I owe this man-hunt?" he asked placidly, taking in her very real form against the natural backdrop, the wind swaying the trees slightly.

"Hiashi-sama kindly asked for me to, "retrieve" you on some clan business,"

Neji simply nodded.

The both, then began walking off the land-based serenity, when multiple, detailed phrases shot through his mind, heating his heart with the truth of his words.

"Could you... could you give me – just a moment please!" he asked, whirling around to use his knee as a desk for his pad and pencil.

"Take your time," she waved flippantly, with her grin held I place, sauntering past the wooded area.

_But it is not alone. It has found solace in its inevitable loss. Though it cannot fly, it soars on wings made of care. And with those wings outspread, it flies towards the one(s) it cares about... and the ones that care about it. It flies to the cages ends, the place that is home. And in knowing its boundaries... it is no longer limited... and in knowing so... it means it is truly capable...of flying. _

"You coming?" He heard her call out to him by the fields edge.

"Hai," he called, closing his works with a snap. Neji, beside himself, couldn't help but quickly peek at all he had wrote.

With a satisfied smirk, he went on his way, shooting off a deeply-lodged stone, using his bulged muscles to propel him, closer to the one he cared about.

_This...feels... like I'm flying, _he thought incredulously, as he jumped from stone to branch and on.

Lifting his face to the sky, he saw the trees trap him from the endlessness of the sky.

_I may be a caged bird... but I _can_ fly!_

He lifted off from the branch to raise higher than the confining treetops. He floated onward, igniting his chakra to push him even farther.

He lowered his head to its normal state, closing his simultaneously, revelling in the feel of soaring.

_And in knowing... it can truly gain its wings._

A/N:

I can be deep sometimes. And in writing this, I've found a new respect for my not-so-favorite Hyuuga Neji.

Characters aren't mine. Story and "Thoughts" are.


End file.
